In 2019, about 20.8 million departing passengers went through security screening at Toronto Pearson, an increase of one per cent over the previous year (proportionate to overall growth in passenger traffic). The steady flow of passengers is facilitated by our close working relationship with the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency (CATSA), which has strengthened in recent years.

In 2017, we introduced an enhanced screening process called CATSA Plus in the U.S. departures area of Terminal 1. Integrating technologies to automate boarding pass validation, the new system also allows multiple passengers to load and advance their inspection bins at the same time. And it applies human-centred design in providing, for example, more space at the end of the process for passengers to retrieve and organize their belongings without feeling rushed.

These performance improvements, welcomed by passengers and airlines alike, show the value of partnership.

CATSA Plus was implemented in Terminal 3 at the beginning of 2018, then phased into Terminal 1’s domestic and international areas through the rest of that year into early 2019. With more than twice the throughput of earlier solutions, our improved screening lines now rank among the most efficient in North America. During the past year, just over 95 per cent of passengers experienced an average screening time of less than 15 minutes; this was an improvement of nearly three percentage points compared to 2018.

These performance improvements, welcomed by passengers and airlines alike, show the value of partnership. The GTAA continues to help expand and enhance security facilities, and our security and IT experts work with their CATSA counterparts on everything from trusted U.S. traveller screening to the latest facial recognition and biometrics technologies. At the same time, we’re working with Transport Canada and the aviation industry to advance discussions on the future of Canada’s airport security screening authority.